This document presents an exploratory study on the use of location-based augmented reality mobile applications for enhancing learning during history field trips for secondary school students in Singapore. Findings suggest logistical improvements, the importance of situated learning through social interaction, and the need for immersive, engaging activities to foster deeper historical understanding. Recommendations include better trip planning, collaborative roles for students, and the integration of technology to facilitate knowledge transfer.

1. Augmented Reality: Voices from
Theory and Students
Research question:
Exploratory Study: How can you use Location-Based Augmented
Reality Mobile Applications for Transfer of Learning in a History Field
Trip for a Secondary School in Singapore?
 Justifications
 Findings and Recommendations

2. Justifications

3. Engage 2013, SXSWedu, Chris Dede, How Immersion in
Virtual Worlds Helps Students in the Real World

4. IHT Field Trips and AAR Conducted
Area/ Field Venue Main Participants Duration in
the field
Field
Observations
and AARs
Fort Canning,
20 Feb 2013
280 Sec 2E and 2N
students, facilitators,
accompanying
teachers
3 hours
Field
Observations,
AARs and
teacher
reflexive
Fort Canning,
Feb 2014
280 Sec 2E and 2N
students, facilitators,
accompanying
teachers
3 hours
Student
Interviews
St Gabriel’s
Sec School,
10/3/2013
5 Students 1 hour

5. Findings and Recommendations

6. Logistics
• Get the groupings
sorted out weeks
ahead
• Meet the vendors to
communicate what
exactly the pre and
post activity. Also
learning points
• Food, water and
physical ability
We get to ‘pontang’ School
The food is not nice. Should find a
better place to eat. We sat on the floor
to eat.
When we did the Singapore River, we
were more relaxed because it was the
first activity. Then, when we went to
Fort Canning, we were like more tired
and quite restless. Should be a two half
day trip.
Don’t put it so close to the camp
because we already very tired and then
have to go to the camp and then even
more tired. Some of my friends fell sick
the next day.

7. Pre-Activity
• Have an enduring
understanding that is specific
and concrete
• Assign roles (E.g. Researcher of
specific places, map leader,
worksheet leader, photo taker
• Create an real and virtual
spaces for students to discuss,
collaborate, report and work
• Give them time to collaborate
Have you thought about how to do the
project? How to collaborate? <silence>;
<muttering>
If we just do the phone, I think we won’t
remember the whole thing. If we like made
the report, we would use our own words and
rephrase it, I think we would remember the
whole trip better.
One person did the phone and the other one
did the worksheet. Some of us also like half
phone and half worksheet. Share the load
together.
I think they should create an online portal to
view our own ‘found’ resources. Like taking
photographs and posting on our portal. Then
we can check it on the computer to see what
we have posted and refer to them.

8. Activity: Situated Learning Brown, Colins, and Duguid 1989
All learning takes place within a specific context and the quality of the
learning is a result of interactions among the places, people, objects,
processes, and culture within and relative to the given context
Situated learning as it normally occurs is embedded within activity,
context and culture. It is also usually unintentional learning rather
than deliberate.
Social interaction and collaboration are essential components of
situated learning.
Situated learning through immersive interfaces is important in part
because of the issue of transfer (Dede, 2008,2009). This is the
application of knowledge learnt in one situation to another situation
and is demonstrated if instruction on a learning task leads to improved
performance on a transfer task, ideally a skilled performance in a real-
world setting (Meestre, 2002)

9. Activity
• Give them time to explore,
appreciate the place and to ask
questions about the site.
• Visit really mysterious and
interesting places.
• It’s not just about finishing the
activity. It’s also about curiosity
and things you learn incidentally
through observation and
questions.
We were given time to look around the place.
It’s like on the spot we are doing the activity,
so we will stand at one place, do the activity
finish. Then while we are walking to the next
station, we can enjoy the surroundings.

11. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/~/medi
a/nparks-real-content/gardens-
parks-and-nature/diy-walk/diy-
walk-pdf-files/sculpture-trail-at-
fcp.ashx

13. Activity
• Give them time to explore,
appreciate the place and to ask
questions about the site.
• Visit really mysterious and
interesting places.
• Take lots of photos individually
for memory and for later
analysis
• Task novelty is important. Focus
on learning value and how this
pieces into their later of their
individual learning
Do some challenges on the spot that will
make it more fun. Like they can make some
treasure hunt like hide some treasure in the
Fort Canning. Find the code and make up
your own activity.
Let us go around Fort Canning instead of on
the trail. Travel on our own in different
groups instead of following a trail or guide.
Maybe they can give us a map and then let us
find our own way. So, we can learn more
things about that place.
Like, okay, you have two hours. Meet back
here but you must do this and that, this and
that. If there’s anything, call the guide or
teacher or anything in case of anything
happening.

14. Take lots of photos individually for
memory and for later analysis as group or
individuals
Have an activity that wraps it up or
consolidates the learning (E.g. Start or end
with the museum visit)
The report helps us summarize everything that we
learn. The whole learning journey.
I say we need the report because it evaluates what
students have learnt from the trip.
Ya. The museum. They like don’t let us go in. 5 minutes
in there only. But no chance to explore. We just gave
back the phone, that’s all. We go there, do the survey
and then just go already. We would have liked to spend
more time at the museum
I prefer the one with the
handphone because you actually
gain more knowledge.
The guide keeps talking, you
forget some stuff. If the guide
keeps talking to us.
It’s very boring to hear him talk.
Then some of us, we don’t even
bother to hear.
Because our generation, the kids
are used to using mobile devices.
Then you can process more
information through it. Because
the guide.
Whatever he says, we might forget
it. We can go back to the phone
and then like refer to the
information

15. Expect mistakes. Historical thinking is an un-
natural cognitive activity but they’ll get
there
Continuity
.

18. Deeper historical thinking through talk
and collaboration
Change and Continuity through physical buildings. Concept of
Modernization. The old is not so useful anymore: From his bungalow on
top of Fort Canning, Raffles could see some of the buildings from his house itself. It
was supposed to be that purpose. But then if you see now, all the buildings are now
blocking the sea port. So, the light house becomes useless. But just a showcase. So,
Singapore has turned into a modern city.
The legacy of British and western forms of governance in Sg history: I
heard that it was British colonial building that causes government. Governance of
the British. British. Everything about British. Sir Stamford Raffles, the Fullerton
Hotel, the cannons then dunno what everything British. Then the Cavenagh Bridge is
also British name. Anderson Bridge is also a British name. That’s something I realized
after the field trip. Something I never realized. Everything is named after the British.
I never thought about this.

19. The Starting Point: 14th century
Singapore at Empress Place
A: Asian Civilization Museum Site.
It was the start point.
B: They put quiz on the phone
two times. Fort Canning and
Singapore River. The place was
renamed many times lah. I can’t
remember the names but , so, I
can infer the building was used
for many purposes from the past
till British times.
http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/major-archaeological-dig-underway-empress-place-20150213

20. Where do teachers come in: Teachers/
guides vs. handphones?
Abrantes et al, Pedagogical affect, student
interest and learning performance
There needs to be transfer or
the application of knowledge
learnt in one situation to
another situation, ideally a
skilled performance in a real-
world setting

21. References
• http://www.slideshare.net/LloydYeo/augmented-reality-a-case-study-on-an-interactive-heritage-trail
• Abrantes et al, Pedagogical affect, student interest and learning performance. Journal of Business Research, 60,0.
Sept 2007.
• Chris Dede, Keynote speech at iED 2012, Boston. How Immersion in Virtual Worlds Helps Students in the Real
World
• Chris Dede, Immersive Interfaces for Engagement and Learning. Science, 323, 5910. Jan 2009
• J Mestre, Ed. Transfer of Learning from a Modern Multidisciplinary Perspective (Information Age, Greenwich, CT,
2005)
• NParks Website: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/~/media/nparks-real-content/gardens-parks-and-nature/diy-
walk/diy-walk-pdf-files/sculpture-trail-at-fcp.ashx
• Straits Times: Empress Place Archaeological Excavation: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-
singapore-stories/story/major-archaeological-dig-underway-empress-place-20150213